Goldie’s Diner sat at the corner of Main Street, its windows glowing warm and golden. The painted sign above the door had a whimsical flourish to it—a swirling script in glowing neon. Inside, shadows moved and laughter echoed. I froze on the threshold—it looked packed inside.
Harmony paused beside me.
“You okay?”
“Just a little overwhelmed,” I admitted. “It’s been a weird day.”
She gave my arm a gentle squeeze.
“Come on, you’ll like the girls. They’re very welcoming.”
The bell above the door jingled as we stepped inside. A wave of warm air enveloped me, carrying with it the scent of cinnamon, apples, buttered waffles, and fresh-brewed coffee.
The interior was cozy and inviting. There were normal-sized booths but also extremely large ones as well. I supposed those were to accommodate the larger residents of the town. Like the enormous Minotaur I saw sitting at one extra-large booth eating what looked like a salad made with hay instead of lettuce.
My eyes were drawn to a long booth stretched under a large window that looked out on Main Street, where a whirlwind of leaves danced past.
The booth was already full.
I recognized Goody Albright at once. She was sitting beside several other women—some younger than me and a few my age. One of them—a woman with golden curls and sharp green eyes—was wearing a waitressing uniform as though she’d stopped work to sit down and chat with the rest. All of them turned when Harmony and I walked up, expectant looks on their faces.
I’m not an extrovert—the opposite in fact. Having everyone looking at me felt very overwhelming—for a moment, I wanted to shrink into my sweater and disappear.
“Everyone,” Harmony said brightly. “This is Danni. She just inherited her grandmother’s cottage here in the Hollow. And Danni, this is Goody Albright, who you already know…Goldie—she owns this diner…Celia, who owns The Lost Lamb bakery…Sarah, who works with Celia…and Willow, who owns the new magical ingredients shop that just opened not long ago.”
I tried to fix everyone’s name in my mind and nodded nervously at them all.
“Hi, er, nice to meet you,” I said faintly.
The woman in the waitressing uniform, who Danni had said was Goldie, beamed at me.
“Welcome! We love when new witches come to town.”
“Oh, I’m not a witch,” I said quickly, my heart thumping.
The women exchanged glances. They weren’t mocking, more like amused.
“Neither was I. Not at first,” Willow murmured, sipping her tea.
“You will be,” Sarah said with a wink.
“Well, you’re safe here,” Celia said. “Whatever brought you to Hidden Hollow, trust that it’s exactly where you need to be.”
“And who you need to be with,” Harmony added meaningfully.
“Whatever the case, you’re welcome here,” Goody Albright said, smiling. “And since the magical bubble around Hidden Hollow doesn’t allow anyone who doesn’t have magic in their blood to pass through into town, I believe you’re in the right place.”
I slid into the booth beside Harmony, feeling a little dazed.
“Is it always like this? So warm? So…friendly?”
“We stick together,” Goldie said simply. “Especially when it comes to the town magic.”
“Speaking of that,” Goody Albright said, setting down her mug. “Madam Healer sent me a magical thought message. I hear there was a strange reading on your Harm-or-No-Harm harm charm tonight.”
Harmony nodded and relayed the events again. The green glow…the flash of royal purple.
Goody frowned, her brow furrowing.
